ONGOLE: In what seems to be a plot right from a thriller movie, Prakasam cops cracked a dacoity case by recovering Rs 14 lakh worth cash, 1 kg gold and a car just hours after they received a complaint about it. The dacoity took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday in the Nallamala forest area. The cops, who were on their way to catch the 6-member dacoity gang, found the valuables abandoned in the forest. According to the cops, a team of 4 gold merchants, who hailed from Narasaraopet town in Palnadu district, were returning from Nandyal town on Saturday night.
While their car reached the outskirts of Giddalur town, which was at least 3 km away from Nallamala Forest area, a team of unknown miscreants way laid the merchants. The dacoits allegedly attacked and thrashed the merchants with iron rods, while flashing knives at them. They forcibly dragged all the gold merchants and the driver out of the car before looting them and fleeing away with the valuables. Following which, the frightened gold merchants rushed to to the near by Forest Check-post and informed the cops about the incident.
Police staff immediately contacted their higher officials and rushed in search of the dacoits. On the directives of the district Superintendent of Police (SP) Malika Garg, the Markapur DSP Dr Kishore Kumar ordered the Markapur CI-Firoze and Podili CI Sudhakara Rao to take appropriate measures. Three police search teams were deployed to get hold of the gang. .
After a few hours, the police teams found the stolen car in the forest area around a kilometre away from the crime spot. After a thorough search, the police found Rs 14 Lakh cash and one kg of gold, which was safely kept in the car’s secret locker.
Cops suspected the gang was aware of the fact that they were following them and left the looted valuables on the way. “According to the merchants, the dacoits fled away with Rs 7 lakh Cash and 700 gram of gold, which were kept in bags. We are confident that we will catch the culprits soon” Firoze, Inspector of Police explained. A case has been registered and probe is underway.